KOCHI: The proposed flyover at Palarivattom bypass Junction, to be constructed as part of the Edappally-Aroor elevated highway, will pass above the Kochi Metro viaduct, according to the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the project consultant to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
“As per the revised DPR, the flyover is now slated to come up above the metro viaduct of the Pink Line, the construction of which is progressing in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium-Infopark stretch. The flyover is proposed to be constructed at a height of 32m above the existing flyover there and the upcoming metro viaduct,” a senior NHAI official said.
The project consultant, Bhopal-based Highway Engineering Consultants Ltd, submitted the DPR early this year, but it failed to take into account the viaduct. The NHAI then asked the consultant to revise the alignment and submit the DPR within a month. However, it finally prepared the report after a delay of nearly five months.
As per the initial report, the project was expected to cost Rs 3,600 crore and would be built parallel to the existing NH 66 bypass section. However, the NHAI is studying the revised DPR and is yet to give final consent. According to sources, the project cost is expected to further rise, but the final estimation will be done only after the NHAI approval.
“The project is being planned in a way so as to fit within the existing ROW (Right Of Way). Hence, there is no need for additional land acquisition, except small areas at the start and end points,” the official said.
Metro viaduct
The metro viaduct of the under-construction second phase, connecting JLN stadium with Infopark, passes above the Palarivattom flyover. It is the highest point in the 11.17-km long Pink Line, which has 11 stations – Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium, Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Bypass, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Padamughal, Civil Station Junction, Cochin SEZ, Chittethukara, Kinfra and Infopark. “It will be one of the highest sections of Phase-2. A special steel span of 60m will be constructed to facilitate the viaduct above the flyover,” said a KMRL official.
“We aim to implement the project at the earliest as an extension of the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway so as to ensure free flow of traffic,” the official said. The NHAI has completed 65% work of the 12.75-km-long Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway project and is targeting to complete the constructions by February 2026.
The 16.294-km-long corridor will start before Oberon Mall near Edappally Junction (after the flyover towards the Alappuzha side) and end at Aroor Junction, just after the landing of the Thuravoor-Aroor elevated highway, which is currently under execution.